


Casual

by youcouldmakealife



Series: Impaired Judgment (and other excuses) [95]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 10:24:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20113570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youcouldmakealife/pseuds/youcouldmakealife
Summary: “Hey,” Bryce says when he pulls back, doing this little head bob in Julius’ direction.“Hello,” Julius says back, very stiffly.Jared is an idiot, and this is his penance for it.





	Casual

Julius is not cool. 

Jared’s not sure if anyone other than him actually notices, but Julius is very much not cool.

Jared swears, the sound of Bryce’s key in the lock hits this Pavlovian thing in him, makes him want to just, be right there when the door opens — is this how dogs feel, all wagging tail greetings at the door? — but _he_ tries to play it cool, not only because Julius is clearly already in a weird place, but also he’s people. Jared doesn’t like doing the whole PDA thing in front of people. 

So he holds back, but just like, long enough for Elaine to say hi first — they presumably saw each other right before Bryce went to his game, but she gives him a giant hug anyway — and then, well, fuck it. He hasn’t seen him in a month, outside of Skype, he’s hugging his damn fiancé.

It’s — awkward. The hug’s definitely awkward, closer to the kind of bro hug Jared would do with Chaz or Raf, and that’s kind of on him, but that’s also kind of on Bryce, and Jared doesn’t know if Bryce is just not comfortable hugging him in front of Julius, or if he’s still mad at him. Maybe both.

“Hey,” Bryce says when he pulls back, doing this little head bob in Julius’ direction.

“Hello,” Julius says back, very stiffly. 

Jared is an idiot, and this is his penance for it. 

Elaine breaks the ice, because she is a wonderful person, telling them all about the plans for tomorrow and Christmas Day — she keeps adding ‘if that works for everyone’, but considering she made the plans with Jared’s mom, they’re definitely set in stone — and then doing the thing with Julius she did with Jared when she met him, peppering him with questions until he’s bowled over by her friendliness and has to respond, Julius telling her what he got his parents for Christmas while Bryce says, “Getting a beer,” kind of short, and then heads to the kitchen.

“Get me a glass of wine!” Elaine calls after him, then, “That sounds lovely. What did you say your mother’s name is?”

Jared follows Bryce into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as Bryce pulls a beer out of the fridge, a bottle of white wine.

“Still mad?” Jared asks.

“I’m not mad,” Bryce says, not looking at him.

Jared waits.

“I just kind of wanted it to just be us three tonight, you know?” Bryce says finally.

“I know,” Jared says. “I’m sorry. C’mere?”

Bryce hugs him properly then, pressing a kiss to his temple, so at least that means it’s just that he wasn’t comfortable doing it in front of Julius. 

“You want a beer?” Bryce says. “Or, I bought club soda, you and mom can be girly together with your spritzers.”

“Wine isn’t girly,” Jared says. “Alcohol doesn’t have a gender, Bryce.”

“I guess it’s spritzers, then,” Bryce says. “One for Halla too?”

“I dunno,” Jared says. “He’s not really a big drinker. I’ll check.”

“Just—” Bryce says. “Stay in here a minute?”

“Okay,” Jared says, lets Bryce reel him back in, and holds on until Bryce relaxes a little against him.

Julius opts for a beer, not drinking it so much as clutching it for dear life as Elaine continues to gently interrogate him until he’s visibly sagging with exhaustion, either from the combination of the game and the drive, or the fact he just said more words in a row than Jared’s ever heard him say. He’s literally learned things about Julius he never knew. Julius has a sister. Jared knew Julius had a sister, but apparently she’s Erin’s age. He thought she was like, twelve. He feels like a terrible friend.

Everyone retreats once Julius starts yawning, considering they’re kind of sitting on his bed, and Jared grabs pillows and blankets from the closet, helps Julius set up while Bryce and Elaine clear the coffee table, Bryce loading the dishwasher like a fraud who does it all the time, instead of just when Elaine’s around. Or maybe he does it now, considering he doesn’t have Jared to do it for him. Jared somehow doesn’t think so. He bets stuff just sits in the sink until the housekeeper comes.

“Bryce’s mom is nice, huh?” Jared asks, instead of ‘why didn’t I know your sister’s fifteen, what the hell?’.

“She’s nice,” Julius agrees.

“Bryce gets it from her,” Jared says, and Julius makes a non-committal sound. Which like, no way for him to know, considering Bryce barely said a word the whole time, Jared guesses. “You get up before us, feel free to raid the kitchen.”

“Okay,” Julius says. 

“Okay,” Jared says, brushes his teeth while Bryce talks to Elaine in her room — hopefully ‘hey, that Halla guy seems nice’ and not ‘I totally lied to Jared and I’m still furious so I need to vent to you’. He’s in bed by the time Bryce comes in, which might indicate venting, but his posture isn’t mad or anything. 

“You were quiet,” Jared says, while Bryce undresses.

“Mom was kind of doing her thing,” Bryce says. 

“Yeah,” Jared says. “Elaine said you had a goal and an assist. That’s, what, thirty-eight now?”

“Think so,” Bryce yawns. “What’s Halla have?”

“Thirty-two,” Jared says. Hockey media’s practically given him the Calder already.

“Better start working harder,” Bryce says as he slides into bed beside him.

“You or him?” Jared asks. “Or me, with all of nine.”

“You’re doing awesome,” Bryce says. “You’re on pace for twenty-five, that’s great for a rookie, especially since you missed some games.”

Easier to take comfort in that when your freaking liney hasn’t already cracked thirty and your fiancé isn’t at a point a game pace, but then, Jared’s not Bryce or Julius, and he’s fine with that. He’s beating out Chaz right now, so that’s cool. Chaz keeps protesting that it doesn’t count when Jared’s linemate is a freaking prodigy, but it absolutely still does.

“I guess,” Jared says, tucking his nose against Bryce’s shoulder and his hand down the back of his waistband.

“What if they hear us?” Bryce says.

“I could gag you,” Jared says, and the look on Bryce’s face when he looks up is — interesting.

“I’m not doing kinky shit with your linemate and my _mom_ here,” Bryce hisses.

Definitely something to revisit another time, though. For now trading handies and muffling any noises against each other’s mouths is about all they can do, between the two guests and the fact Jared’s kind of wiped. Apparently, playing a game, driving three hours, and telling your liney that you’re engaged to the enemy before bringing him into said enemy territory? Tiring.

Julius must have been wiped too, because Jared’s showered, dressed, had a cup of coffee, and finished making breakfast by the time he quits being a lump on the couch, and that’s only because Jared pokes him awake so his eggs don’t get cold. He’s non-verbal through breakfast, but that’s pretty typical, though the weird looks he shoots Bryce throughout, like he’s sizing him up for shanking, or deciding whether Bryce is going to shank _him_, not so much.

“Quit side-eyeing my fiancé,” Jared says, when he hands him a clean towel after breakfast and herds him to the bathroom.

“I’m not,” Julius protests, and Jared side-eyes him.

Julius disappears into the bathroom for a moment, but comes out when Jared’s folding his blankets away so they can have their couch back for the day.

“Which is your shampoo?” Julius asks.

“Just use whatever one you want,” Jared says.

Julius waits.

“The one that doesn’t look like it costs a billion dollars,” Jared says. It does make Bryce’s hair really nice though, and when Jared steals it, his own hair’s nicer. Honestly, he’s just using the cheap stuff out of pettiness at this point. 

Julius continues to wait, Jared’s partner in pettiness.

“Oh for—” Jared says. “The Garnier, you baby.”

“Not a baby,” Julius says, but considering he comes out of the shower smelling like Jared’s shampoo, he’s totally a baby.

Jared decides to use Bryce’s shampoo the whole time they’re here, just to spite him. And then buy some for his apartment and prominently display it so Julius will wonder. He makes a note in his phone so he remembers.

Elaine runs out to do some last minute Christmas shopping before they head out for Jared’s parents, and that’d usually be a great time to get laid, but instead nope, they have a guest. They watch the old Rudolph movie, Bryce and Julius twin stone-faced statues on either side of Jared, and Jared spends more time texting Chaz and Raf than actually watching. Which is dumb, because they both just laugh at him. Jared thought Raf would have some empathy, but he guesses he misjudged him. Raf’s the worst. Everyone around Jared is the worst. And soon he’s going to have to see the Mathesons, the worst people of all.

*

His mom doesn’t say a thing when she opens the door, just wraps him in the biggest hug ever, an Elaine sized one, but like, more painful.

Jared hugs back just as tight.

“It’s so good to see you,” she says, and Jared holds on even tighter.

Worst people or not, they’re _Jared’s_ worst people.

“Elaine!” his mom says when she lets go of Jared, and they hug like they’re best friends who’ve been separated for a decade. How much are they emailing? Jared’s concerned.

Erin, who’s just pulled out of a hug with Bryce, tilts her chin up at Jared. “Sup?”

“What’d you do to your hair?” Jared asks. It did not have blue streaks in November, Jared would have remembered that.

“Dyed it,” Erin says. “Duh.”

“It looks really nice, Erin,” Bryce says, the suck up. Not that it looks bad or anything, but.

Okay, it looks kind of nice, but Jared’s not going to _say_ that.

“Well,” Jared says. It’s Christmas Eve, he should be nice. “It looks better than the playoff bleach shit I had.”

“I mean, you looked like a weasel, so obviously,” Erin says.

Never mind, Jared isn’t going to be nice at _all_.

“Julius,” Jared says. “Erin. She’s the worst.”

“I like your hair,” Julius says, also like a giant suck up.

“Thanks,” Erin says. “Sorry you have to deal with my brother all the time.”

“It’s not too bad,” Julius says.

“What do you mean, _not too bad_?” Jared asks.

“You’re okay,” Julius shrugs.

“Where’s Mr. Matheson?” Bryce asks.

“Grilling pears in the backyard because he’s a maniac,” Erin says.

“I’m not a maniac,” his dad says, coming into the hall, but he is currently wearing an apron over a parka, so that’s clearly debatable. “It’s nice out.”

It’s minus twelve, but okay. Perfect grilling weather.

“Julius, my maniac dad,” Jared says.

Jared’s dad gives Julius a little squint. Obviously he’s put aside his Oilers hate on Jared’s behalf, but Jared’s slightly curious as to whether that extends to his teammates.

“It’s a pleasure watching you play,” his dad says. “Hope my kid isn’t holding you back too much.”

Jared can feel Bryce scowling before he even looks at him, and he’s not sure if it’s the complimenting Julius thing or the putting Jared down thing. Jared’s definitely not taking the second part to heart — him and his dad have accurate views of his talent, and his talent is totally at a holding Julius back level. He _is_ annoyed that he’s complimenting Julius’ hockey when he barely ever compliments Bryce’s, though, and definitely never to his face.

“Not too much,” Julius says, and Jared’s dad laughs while Bryce’s scowl gets scowlier.

“I’m Don,” Jared’s dad says, offering his hand to Julius, and Bryce’s scowl right now? Totally warranted, because to Bryce he’s still Mr. Matheson and has shown no signs of being interested in that changing. 

“We’re just having a casual dinner,” his dad says. “Big ham tomorrow, so we’re keeping it simple tonight.”

Jared exchanges a look with Erin. Grilled pears is not casual. Grilled pears is something that has never been seen in this household. Dad’s either trying to impress Julius and Elaine, or having a weird mid-life crisis in the form of overcompensating in the kitchen. Whatever it is, the so called ‘casual’ dinner is way better than the actual casual dinners Jared’s accustomed to in this house, which is usually pasta and salad and _maybe_ some garlic bread. There are like seventeen different things on the table, and each one Jared tries is awesome.

“This is fantastic, Don,” Elaine says. “You’re quite the cook.”

“Oh, no, it was easy,” his dad says.

“He started cooking at six this morning,” Erin says, sotto voice.

Jared snorts.

“Don’t exaggerate, Erin,” his mom says. “He didn’t start until six-thirty at least.”

It takes Elaine at her nicest to make Jared’s dad quit sulking after that. After dinner there’s grilled balsamic pears, which his dad, back to pretending this is a totally normal Matheson meal, claims is traditional, though Jared doesn’t know for _who_. Definitely not them.

“The pears are delicious, Mr. Matheson,” Bryce says.

“Don,” Jared’s dad says, and Jared doesn’t know if it’s because Elaine’s here, or because he told Julius to call him Don earlier, or — and Jared likes this one, Jared hopes it’s this one — he’s finally decided to actually like, respect Jared’s fiancé. It doesn’t actually matter why: now that he’s said it he can’t unsay it. There are witnesses. Bryce has Don rights now. 

By the little smile on the corner of Bryce’s mouth, Bryce is pleased to gain Don rights.

The drive back is quiet, everyone kind of in a food coma, and they watch Love Actually at Elaine’s request, Bryce with his head on her shoulder, which is frankly adorable, especially since he’s like, twice her size.

“Okay, Bear,” Elaine says, after, nudging a dozing Bryce awake, and herds him to his and Jared’s room while Jared and Julius make up the couch, because moms are moms for life. No PJs are suddenly forced on Jared this year, and he finds himself a little conflicted about it, wondering if that’s only because they’ve got a guest, or it’s a Richmond only thing, or what.

“I like your family,” Julius says. “They remind me of mine.”

Jared’s surprised by that, though he’s not sure why.

“So your family’s the worst?” Jared asks.

“Yes,” Julius says, but fondly. And a little sadly, which Jared gets.

“Merry Christmas, bud,” Jared says.

“Not yet,” Julius says, super pedantic.

“Christmas in Finland, isn’t it?” Jared asks, throwing it right back at him.

“Oh,” Julius says. “Merry Christmas.”

Bryce is already asleep when Jared comes in. Jared kind of wants to poke him awake, feels like he’s barely talked to him all day, all these _people_ around, even if they’re family. And like. Julius. Family and family-in-law to be and liney. 

Bryce looks like, peaceful, though, and soft, and Jared can’t bring himself to mess with that, so he crawls in beside him, kisses his shoulder.

“Mm?” Bryce asks, because Jared’s best intentions were for nothing, he guesses.

“Go to sleep,” Jared says.

“Kay,” Bryce says without opening his eyes, pressing a blind kiss to Jared’s hair before he seems to drop back into it in a second flat.

Jared’s awake for a bit, but not in a bad way, just kind of — holding onto it, the quiet, Bryce’s chest under his cheek, ring slung across his chain. Jared would wonder why he didn’t wear it today, but honestly, his dad is enough explanation, new Don rights or not. 

The door creaks open right as Jared starts to drift, and he sits up, squinting into the light from the hall.

“It’s just Santa,” Elaine whispers, before depositing two stockings at the foot of the bed and creeping back toward the door.

“Thanks Santa,” Jared whispers.

“You’re welcome honey,” she says, and Jared drifts for awhile after, content, before curiosity overtakes him and he has to sit up and investigate his stocking, easily identified by the fact it’s got the Oilers logo on it. She’s loaded it with candy, including a Pez dispenser with an Oilers branded zamboni on it, a Bryce action figure, which is hilarious and coming back to Edmonton with him, going to sit on his bedside table. A book on wedding planning, and Jared pages through it. It’s too dark to read it, and it’s like, past midnight on Christmas and he should sleep, but.

“Whatcha doing?” Bryce asks, when Jared flicks the bedside lamp on.

“Planning our wedding,” Jared says.

“Okay,” Bryce says, reaching out and slinging an arm across Jared’s hip, back to asleep before Jared’s even finished the first page.


End file.
